Kristian Garic

Kristian: 5-1 not a bad place for the Saints to be

by Kristian Garic,posted Oct 14 2013 3:33PM

At his Monday press conference, Saints Coach Sean Payton gave credit where credit is due in the Patriots' victory over the Saints. Payton didn’t second-guess the coverage on the play of the last drive and the comeback by Tom Brady and his squad.

Payton noted that the Saints are 5-1 and still haven’t played their best football. That’s encouraging, indeed.

On one hand, I don’t expect the team to dwell on the loss too long…they’ve always had their 24 hour rule to either celebrate or commiserate on a win or loss…but heading into the bye week, two weeks is really a long time to chew on such a tough loss. The team is completely off for a week, and won’t be back until next Monday.

Refs: Yes, there were some bad calls. Do I think it changed the outcome of the game? No. The Saints just didn’t make enough plays on offense in the final moments. Despite the bad calls, they still had an opportunity on offense to ice the game, but didn’t do it.

Jimmy: A lot of fans are asking about how Jimmy Graham is doing. We won’t know officially for some time, especially since they’re in the bye week, but the NFL Network reports he’s going to have an MRI on his foot. I was really surprised by how the Patriots held him in check, given how he’s played the last few weeks, but then again, Bill Belichick is masterful and game-planning and scheming. He hasn’t won three Super Bowls for nothing. And even though people say, “well, the other teams couldn’t hold Jimmy in check,” those other teams don’t have the same personnel as the Patriots.

All in all, the Saints are still in really a good position at 5-1, still 1st place in division, 1st place in the NFC. In the preseason, most fans would have been happy with a 4-2 team at this point. With the NFL being what it is, it’s not realistic to expect any team to stay undefeated. And, to lose to the Patriots is not exactly as if they lost to Jacksonville. They lost to another great team that is also 5-1 in a road game that went down to the wire.

The issue is not that it is one loss. It is the Offense failing to make one first down in two posessions during the last three or so minutes. The defense stopped Brady and company twice in the last 4 and a half minutes. Not many teams can do that. We game one of the great ones three bites at the apple and it bit us you know where. Play calling moved from trying to win to keep from losing? That is not what got us to 5 and 0.
Defense played a Patriot team well. Offense did not make the adjustments we are used to seeing in Sean Payton team.

10/14/2013 4:12PM

Bad Coaching!!!!

Bad Coaching by of the Offense loss this game; although there was alot of bad calls against the Saints, a sure holding on New England on Brady,s winning TD pass; The Offense played not to lose, instead of going out and go win the game. Sean Payton put too much pressure on his Defense to win the game!!!! Saints Defense did more than enough to win that game!!!!

10/14/2013 4:16PM

Play to Win!

Sean coached not to lose instead of playing to win! Paid for it in a loss.

10/14/2013 4:32PM

5-1 and 10 to Geaux

We'll be fine with a 5 and 1 record!Just win 10 more!

10/14/2013 4:44PM

We will win, we will lose

But this is like a "lost win", simply heartbreaking.

10/14/2013 4:47PM

Left Tackle

The left tackle position is still of concern with Brown there. He's getting pushed around too much. And we need Lance Moore back. Kenny Stills is doing a great job. But in all, very proud to be sitting at 5-1. Very impressive. Who Dat!

10/14/2013 5:17PM

Moore should be traded

If Saints were smart, they would get anything they can for Lance Moore, and get rid of him. Who needs a player that makes a few million for half a season. He hasn't played in more than half the games in 3 or 4 years. He is just like Reggie Bush...injury prone. Talib had pressed and shut down some good receivers this season in previous games...it was all on film that Saint coaches had to watch. Did they do anything in practice to simulate that at all, because it didn't appear that they did. Did they just think Graham would be able to get open because of his athletic ability? This is the NFL...great players on defense too. You have to have a plan. Payton caused this loss with his play calling and poor end of game clock management.

10/14/2013 5:28PM

kris

I remember all the sad losses with coach Mora when all he wanted to do is protect the lead--and wind up losing

10/14/2013 5:35PM

kris

One more thing--going the full season undefeated is more of a dream than a real possibility, so getting that firs loss under the belt may not be a bad thing. Now lets concentrate on the job at hand and "get-r-done" Whodat!!!

10/14/2013 5:39PM

Non-calls

Hey should a won anyway, agreed, but it's not just the bad calls, it's the NON-calls. The refs killed us in this game. I know we have to get a first down to win it, but it seems to me that anytime ANYONE plays against Tommy boy, different rules seem to apply from the refs standpoint, a la Michael Jordan.

10/14/2013 9:21PM

REALITY

SAINTS ARE NOT AS GOOD AS WE THING THEY ARE

10/15/2013 2:10AM

The Fix Was In

Time expired on a play where the refs did not allow Drew Brees to call a time out and he got flustered and threw an interception. At least some of the plays against Jimmy Graham were pass interference. The Patriots jumped into the neutral zone and the Saints get called for a false start having to punt instead of having a first down on the Pats 33 yard line ending a scoring opportunity. The Pats bounce a ball to a WR and it is called a completed pass. The worst call or non call of the game occurred when Brady threw his only TD to win the game with a clear by the neck holding of a Saints player which would have resulted in a ten yard penalty leaving little or no time left on the clock and the Saints win. I do not want to hear about the Saints strategy being flawed. It is enough to try to out coach your opponent but to have to deal with all the obstacles that I listed as a coaching staff becomes ridiculous.

10/15/2013 1:57PM

This is not WWE!

I am left to believe that choke holds are now legal in the NFL. Perhaps choke holds are only legal when a local Pats fan is the Line Judge.

10/15/2013 5:09PM

Uh huh

Agree with most of the comments made especially first one posted.......And YES the calls did affect the outcome, but this happens in the NFL.
As far as the post titled REALITY......dude just get another team to follow.....give me a break...in fact give us ALL a break...
bigbadave

10/15/2013 9:27PM

REFS!

FINE THE REFS, FOR BAD CALLS! THEN I THINK THEY WILL PAY MORE CLOSE ATTENTION!

10/17/2013 12:09PM

Grumpy 46

Who dat?? Forget this game. Rest and go back to work fresh and ready to play and coach better. who dat ?? Who dat??.